'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Norwegian journalist Kjersti Flaa discussed Ryan Reynolds’ latest business venture, a wine brand, in the newest episode of her Flaawsome Talk with Kjersti Flaa podcast. She slammed the actor’s “marketing idea,” claiming Reynolds knew “nothing about people who actually drink wine.”
During the April 8, 2025, episode, the journalist questioned Reynolds’ entire approach to the wine brand, especially its attempt to be casual and unconventional. Using the brand tagline “33% more wine, 100% less snob” as context, Flaa claimed the marketing strategy seemed to miss the mark regarding its target audience.
“Maybe I’m snobbish when it comes to wine—wine glass. First of all, if it comes from a carton. Okay. Whatever. As long as it tastes good, but this whole marketing idea is just so bad, it’s like he knows nothing about people who actually drink wine,” Flaa explained.
Trending
According to the Hollywood Reporter article dated April 3, 2025, Ryan Reynolds’ brand Maximum Effort partnered with Gallo to launch his new boxed wine brand, Ugly Estates. Set to launch in Texas, Ugly Estates featured Peggy the Hairless Pug as the face of the brand.
The article also added the statement made by Maximum Effort during the product announcement. According to their statement, Ugly Estates was “all about rewriting the rules of wine.”
“Gallo and Maximum Effort have tossed out the old standards, swapping the pretentious bottle for something much more approachable—Ugly Estates is premium California wine in a 1L Tetra Pack… that’s 33% more wine than a standard bottle, with absolutely zero of the unnecessary attitude,” Maximum Effort announced.
However, during her podcast, Kjersti Flaa pointed out that although Ryan Reynolds was trying to portray Ugly Estates as a casual alternative to traditional wine, without the “trappings” of glass bottles and corkscrews, using a dog for its ad campaign made no sense. Flaa noted that Ryan Reynolds was letting the dog (Peggy) “handle” the promotional ad for the brand and not “pushing it himself.”
Kjersti Flaa discusses the ad campaign featuring Peggy for Ryan Reynolds’ wine brand, saying “It looks nasty”
Kjersti Flaa also discussed the quirky ad campaign Ryan Reynolds used to promote his new wine brand, Ugly Estates, during the latest episode of her Flaawsome Talk with Kjersti Flaa podcast. The journalist addressed the actor’s use of Peggy, the hairless pug who portrayed “Dogpool” in the Marvel movie Deadpool & Wolverine, as the face of the brand’s advertising campaign.
“He is using that cute dog from Deadpool, the hairless pug with the tongue out, to sell cheap wine in cartons that are 100% less snobbish…” Flaa remarked.
According to an Adweek article dated April 4, 2025, Peggy is the highlight of the 60-second ad for Ugly Estates. The commercial featured her in slow-motion shots highlighting her distinctive appearance, accompanied by descriptors such as “full bodied,” “striking nose,” and “elegant finish.” The video alternated between classical music and hip-hop, featuring close-ups of Peggy’s facial expressions.
Referring to this ad video, Flaa expressed that her concerns extended beyond packaging, pointing to the overall message and aesthetic of the campaign. She stated that, for her, wine is associated with tradition and ritual—qualities she felt were not reflected in Ugly Estates’ branding.
“I like to drink wine out of glass. Are we supposed to drink it out of the carton? I don’t know. I feel like if you make wine like this, you don’t know anything about wine,” Flaa added.
She also commented on the visuals used by Ryan Reynolds for his wine brand, particularly the use of Dogpool in the ads, which she claimed looked “nasty” and didn’t “make any sense” to her.
“When you see the advertisements, it just looks nasty. Okay, that dog is cute, but I don’t want to drink a wine because a dog is running around pretending to—I don’t know what it’s doing… I don’t know, this just doesn’t make any sense to me,” Flaa added.
At present, Ryan Reynolds is busy with various business ventures, including his other two alcoholic beverage brands, Aviation American Gin and Mint Mobile. He is preparing for his upcoming films Animal Friends and Boyband, set for release later this year.
